Lancaster Alumni Magazine 2022 DRAMATIC ESCAPE FROM KABUL The Lancaster University bond that led to a race for survival THE BUZZOF LIVE SPORT FromBailrigg FM to BBC Radio 5 Live
Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni 1 In many ways, the last twelve months have been a period of catch up, a theme that will continue through the summer as we welcome back graduands whose ceremonies were cancelled in 2020 and 2021. Our extended graduation programme will see over 7,000 people cross the stage to receive their degrees; a reminder of just how significant a rites of passage occasion this is. The feedback we got after last December’s first in-person ceremonies for two years was highly encouraging, and in some cases deeply moving. It was clear that everyone had missed the direct contact involved, the chance to celebrate success with friends and family. Delivered, with great care, at the height of the omicron outbreak, the winter ceremonies were also a testament to the hard work and commitment of many colleagues across the institution; a quality that has been evident time and again throughout the Age of Covid. We have also been catching up in other ways. The delayed results of the Research Excellence Framework – REF2021 – which measures the quality and impact of UK university research, were announced in May, with our departments performing well and the overall value and significance of Lancaster’s work receiving welcome recognition. The University also played an important role in helping to attract the National Cyber Force to Lancashire, a move that could have profound economic benefits for the region. The playing fields of Roses were in action once again with another home triumph after the competition’s two year sojourn. It was a fabulous occasion that showed off Lancaster and its students at their best, although whether or not this Vice-Chancellor’s prowess at penaltytaking added anything to proceedings I will leave for others to judge (if you’re wondering, though: yes, I scored). On a more sombre note, global crises continue to come thick and fast, not least the chaotic withdrawal of the United States and its allies from Afghanistan last August. On Page 9 you can read how a Lancaster connection saved the day for one alumnus caught up in the turbulence of Kabul. Events closer to home in Eastern Europe have shown the fragility of civilisation and the need for universities like Lancaster to work hard in the cause of fairness, justice and academic freedom. Last year, I expressed my eagerness to see alumni in person, and not just online. It was a great pleasure, then, to attend my first London reunion in May. The warmth and enthusiasm of everyone present, their commitment to the University and to our alumni network was humbling to witness. I look forward to meeting even more of you in person over the coming year. Professor Andy Schofield Vice-Chancellor Lancaster University Welcome Contents Last year, I finished my inaugural introduction to Steps Magazine by saying how much I was looking forward to a return of normal service. In welcoming you to the 2022 edition, I’m delighted – and relieved – therefore, to be able to report on a Lancaster year much closer in character to those which preceded the pandemic. 03 The Buzz of Live Sport Amy Scarisbrick tells of her move from Bailrigg FM to BBC Radio 5 Live Alumni in Print 05 A round up of books published by Lancaster alumni The Big Day 06 Your wedding celebrations over the past twelve months
STEPS 2022 - 2 The Fascinating Journey of Dr Reuel Khoza InMemoriam 17 21 An insight into the fascinating and diverse life of Marketing Management postgraduate from South Africa, Reuel Khoza How alumni in the States can make tax-efficient gifts to donate to the University For full obituaries and tributes visit our online In Memoriam page www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni/ in-memoriam Supporting Lancaster from America 19 Health Innovation Campus 07 Lancaster University’s £41 million site and the role it played in the pandemic Each year Lancaster University awards honorary degrees to people with an outstanding international or leading national reputation in their field. The following were awarded in December 2021: Professor Dave Goulson Honorary Doctor of Science Professor Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex, specialising in bee ecology. He has published more than 300 scientific articles on the ecology and conservation of bumblebees and other insects and founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2006. In 2015 he was named number 8 in BBC Wildlife Magazine’s list of the top 50 most influential people in conservation. Roger Liddle, Lord Liddle of Carlisle Honorary Doctor of Laws Roger Liddle, Lord Liddle of Carlisle, was Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council at Lancaster University from 2013 to 2020. He has been a Labour member of the House of Lords since 2010 and currently serves on its European Affairs Select Committee. He has served as the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Europe, worked for the European Commission as a Principal Adviser to the Trade Commissioner and President and advised the Business Secretary on industrial policy. Published by: Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement E: alumni@lancaster.ac.uk Additional Contributors: Rachel Pugh and Alex Mounsey Designed and produced by: www.fusiondesign.co.uk The articles printed here, to the best of our knowledge, were correct at the time of going to press. We cannot guarantee that all articles submitted have been printed and we reserve the right to edit material where necessary. Furthermore, the views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Lancaster University or the Editor. Steps is available to view online at www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni as a PDF. If you require this magazine in another format, please contact Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement. Dramatic Kabul Escape 09 How two Lancaster alumni forged a bond which led to a race for survival Alumni Profiles 13 Focus on two graduates and their career paths since leaving Lancaster Why I Volunteer 11 Lancaster graduates explain why they give their time to their University Honorary Degrees University News 15 Updates and developments about your University
Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni 3 She was one of the first journalists at the aftermath of the bombing in which 23 people died and 1,017 were injured - still wearing her Take That concert bracelet, she faced a scene difficult to comprehend on sight as 40-50 emergency vehicles lit up the sky with red and blue lights and thunderous helicopters went back and forth airlifting patients (many of them children) to hospital. Forensic teams, bomb squads and paramedics swarmed among the dead, injured and distressed. Amy worked through the night providing reports for Key 103 (and the Bauer radio network) every 15 minutes and also updates for Sky News, Channel 7 Australia and CNN, eventually going home at 1pm. Most of her job for the next 18 months became working on arena-related stories. “The attack has deeply affected me both personally and professionally - it changed my perspective on how I view news,” reflects Amy, who won several journalistic awards for her coverage of the arena attack and its aftermath. Microphone in hand covering major university sporting events such as Roses for Bailrigg FM campus radio, Amy Scarisbrick had no idea of the invaluable grounding she was gaining for covering what would be the most demanding assignment of her career to date - the terrorist bombing of the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena. Now a senior sports producer and journalist on Radio 5 Live, Amy finds it difficult to talk about that night in May 2017 when she received a call from Key 103 on her way back from a Take That concert in Liverpool, asking her to check out reports of an incident at the arena. TheBuzzof LiveS Amy Scarisbrick GRADUATED: 2011 SUBJECT: HISTORY COLLEGE: FYLDE PROFESSION: SENIOR JOURNALIST BBC RADIOSPORT 5 LIVE
STEPS 2020 - 4 “The arena attack ultimately prompted me to pursue my original passion of sports journalism as I wanted a change after working on such an emotional and difficult story.” The skills that carried her through that harrowing night and afterwards include good organisation, empathy with interviewees (some of whom were very distressed) and sheer practical experience, developed at Bailrigg FM. They are still the bedrock of her work now as a sports journalist at BBC Radio 5 producing some of the biggest live international sporting events including The Masters, Wimbledon, Euro 2020 and Premier League and Champions League football. Brought up in Ormskirk, she had already decided she wanted to be a sports journalist before starting at Lancaster. A motor sport fan from the age of about three, she graduated from go karts to cars, competing at Silverstone when she was in her teens. A pit lane reporter, Louise Goodman, advised her to get a degree. For Amy it had to be History. Having visited Lancaster she was convinced the variety of history options and the strength of Bailrigg FM would take her towards her chosen career. She joined Bailrigg FM in Freshers’ week and within three weeks she had her own sports show, involving coverage of university sports, but also live commentary at Lancaster City matches. “It was my perfect opportunity to make my mistakes, to cut my teeth and to learn and grow,” she says. She also gained an instant social life. She loved the campus and, unusually, lived there for three years in the same flat with the same flat mates in Fylde College, due to the convenient access to college sports activities, Bailrigg and the city. “History stood me in far better stead than a journalism degree,” she says. “You can mount an argument, you can write properly and it was something I was interested in.” She relished the breadth of the course, particularly a whole year’s module on the First World War with Alan Warburton, and studying the history of advertising. Her dissertation was on speed record setter Malcolm Campbell and the impact of the media on motorsport. Lancaster put Amy in pole position to freelance. She was heard on Bailrigg FM by a local journalist and freelanced for Bay Radio and Lakeland Radio, alongside her studies. Even while studying for her finals in which she gained a first, she was able to keep radio shifts going. “The Roses was the pinnacle for me - the buzz of live sport, the sense of community, being live on air and broadcasting simultaneously on two stations.” After graduation, she went to the University of Central Lancashire to do her Master’s in Broadcast Journalism, going on to work for a range of news outlets including Sky News, Rock FM, BBC North West Tonight and The Bay, on general and especially court reporting, in parallel with sport. She’s now been on staff at Radio 5 Live since 2018. “If it were not for Lancaster University I would not have this career,” muses Amy. “I would not have been heard. Now, stations like Bailrigg are all the more necessary as the industry is shrinking. They give you those skills to develop your confidence, and that chance to make your mistakes.” @AmyScarisbrick 2 “If it were not for Lancaster University I would not have this career, I would not have been heard. Now, stations like Bailrigg are all the more necessary as the industry is shrinking. They give you those skills to develop your confidence, and that chance to make your mistakes.” port
Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni 5 1 GORDON MACKAY Organisation Studies, 1985, Furness Evolving Project Leadership from Command and Control to Engage and Empower 2 JOHN NEWSHAM English Lit with Creative Writing, 2011, Bowland Killing the Horses 3 ADAM SIMCOX Law, 1998, Fylde The Dying Squad 4 R HYS B DAVIES English Lit, Creative Writing & Practice, 2008, Furness Atlas of Imagined Places 5 DUNCAN SMITH Law, 1987, Lonsdale Promoting Integrity in the Work of International Organisations 6 S ARAH J DODD PhD Biological Science, 1994 Keeper of Secrets 7 CATRIONA CHILD MA Creative Writing, 2010 Us Vs the World 8 IAN TAYLOR Management Science (Economics), 1991, Fylde Everything you Ever Need to Know to be the Best Presenter and Public Speaker You Can Be 9 ROB DERRY Geography, 1988, Furness The Waterman 10 JANE MCCHRYSTAL French & Italian Studies, 1980, Cartmel The Splendid Mrs McCheyne and the East London Federation of Suffragettes 11 JANE HUDDLESTON MRes Health Studies, 2007, Biological Sciences, 2001, Grizedale Bridget & Bob’s Grand Adventure 12 MANDY BYATT German Studies and Marketing, 1993, Lonsdale Just Another Liar 13 RUSSELL RAPHAEL Politics, 1982, Furness An Understanding of Ulysses 14 TERRY MARSH PhD Geography, 2013, MA Lake District Studies, 2006 The Girl in the Picture 15 NEIL COLEY History and Politics, 1973, Furness An Alien Autumn 16 A NTHONY PAUL BUCKLEY PhD Management, 2013 Digital Entrepreneurship 17 AVANI PATEL MA Contemporary Sociology, 1999 Living Lights 18 L OUISE ANNE WILSON PhD Theatre Studies, 2017 Sites of Transformation 19 JOHAN WARODELL PhD English, 2016 Conrad’s Decentred Fiction 20 DELLA JUDD Geography, 1993, Cartmel Get The Job You Really Want Alumni inPrint 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 16 4 17 18 19 20
STEPS 2022 - 6 TheBigDay 1 Oliver Simmons (Law, 2013, Bowland) married Kendall Alfano (Marketing, 2012, Bowland) 2 Hayley McGill (Law, 2013, Furness) married Jack Hardy (Geography, 2012, Furness) 3 Craig Nicholls (Biochemistry, 1985, County) married Sue Fraser (Biological Science, 1985, County) 4 Beccy Lee (Management & Organisation, 2011, Grizedale) married Joseph Henderson (History, 2011, Grizedale) 5 Joe Williams (Geography, 2012, Cartmel) married Brittany Fearon (Psychology, 2014, Cartmel) 6 Mariana Cojocari (MSc ITMOC, 2015, Graduate) married Thiemo Werner (MSc Finance, 2015, Graduate) 7 Daniel Chernick (MEng Chemical Engineering, 2018, Lonsdale) married Oana Budurea (Sustainable Engineering, 2017, Cartmel) 8 Lauren Heeley (English Literature, 2012, Bowland) married Jack Howard (Biomedical Science, 2013, Bowland) 9 Adam Hamer (Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology, 2015, Pendle) married Alice Baxter (MPhys Physics, 2016, Bowland) 10 Emma Dewhurst (English Language, 2017, Cartmel) married James Copley (MSc Biomedical Science, 2018, Biomedical Sciences with Biomedicine, 2016, Cartmel) 11 Samuel Nahk (Economics and Politics, 2011, Fylde) married Elizabeth Davidson (Accounting, Finance and Maths, 2013, Furness) 12 Ellan Savage (English Literature, 2013, Lonsdale) married Alex Lanigan (Economics and Politics, 2013, Lonsdale) 13 Carl Christie (Religious Studies, 2013, Cartmel) married Zoe Haynes (English Literature, 2013, Cartmel) 14 Jessica Payne (Law, 2014, Cartmel) married Hayley Lowther (Psychology, 2013, Cartmel) Congratulations to our alumni couples 1 2 3 6 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 12
7 Opening at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lancaster’s new £41m Health Innovation Campus became even more relevant in its mission as a catalyst for the region in solving major global health challenges. Although global pandemics would certainly not have been the focus when the new development at the north end of the campus was initially discussed almost a decade ago, as those first traumatic months of lockdown passed by in Spring 2020 it soon became clear the campus would have a unique role to play in the unfolding disaster. As construction work was completed in June, the new Health Innovation One building was able to open to allow medical students to continue their studies in case they were required on the frontline of the UK’s COVID-19 response. And as life-saving vaccinations became available in the UK, local NHS partners knew where to come when they required a facility from which to run a huge vaccine drive in the region. Health Innovation Campus Partnership Development Manager, Glyn Jones, said: “We already had a close working relationship with Lancaster Medical Practice, so when they needed a large space with plenty of parking to deliver a vaccination programme, we were happy to help them. Some 64,412 vaccinations were eventually administered to residents of North Lancashire from our new building.” Since then, the new campus has continued to deliver on its mission to support projects which could have a significant global impact in the fight against COVID-19, including: • D evelopment of a new needle-free intranasal Covid-19 vaccine through a collaboration between Lancaster University’s Molecular Virologist Professor Muhammad Munir, and British biomedical firm ViraCorp • W ork to create a new handheld device using nasal or saliva samples to deliver accurate COVID-19 diagnoses in seconds Away from the pandemic, the Health Innovation Campus team has also supported the establishment of a regional cancer task force of experts for a major investigation into the prevalence of cancer in the region, to help improve early detection and save lives. Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni HEALTH INNOVATION CAMPUS SEES LANCASTER INVEST IN FUTURE
STEPS 2022 - 8 Led by Lancaster Medical School academic, Dr Luigi Sedda, the project is funded by North West Cancer Research, a charity which established a new northern office in the Health Innovation One building almost as soon as it opened its doors. Health Innovation One is an 80,000 square-foot collaboration hub which provides a home for Lancaster Medical School and the University’s Division of Health Research, as well as a co-location space for partner organisations and event/meeting facilities. It is part of the wider 350,000 square foot Health Innovation Campus. At the heart of the work on the campus is population health and collaboration. It provides a collaborative space where the University and external partners (including NHS, commercial businesses and the local population) can tackle the wider determinants of health, leading to long-term reductions in NHS pressures by helping people live healthier lives and take a personal interest in their own health outcomes. As Glyn adds: “If we can all behave better now in the way we look after our health, pressure on the NHS will be less.” The campus promotes collaboration and knowledge exchange. The theory is that an idea pioneered by a Lancaster University academic can, for example, be nurtured and supported by the disparate group of stakeholders tapping into the campus’s network, known as the #HICommunity, to create a successful project with a tangible outcome - perhaps a group of patients in Blackpool or Fleetwood experiencing better health. The campus, and Lancaster in general, is well positioned geographically to carry out pilots which can easily make comparisons on rural/urban and coastal/inland health lines. It also hosts the Lancaster Medical School with an eight bed mock-up of a hospital ward and simulation room which students use for some of their practical work. Through its diverse cohort of expert academic staff, it ensures a constant presence of clinical and biomedical expertise is on site. Another key piece of the jigsaw for people approaching the campus’s team with a potential health solution is access to expertise from a wide range of different fields covered at Lancaster University. This allows people to use the campus as a gateway to the University, to visit different faculties and receive relevant input which may help them turn an idea into a commercial reality. One example saw a would-be entrepreneur with an idea for an orthopaedic leg stretcher gain useful feedback through the team, not only from medical experts but also from the Engineering Department. The campus also has a European Regional Development Fund project supporting business innovation, which has already worked with more than 200 health-related SMEs in Lancashire to assist them with their innovation strategy. Office and hot desking space is available for external partners. Five organisations have already chosen to base themselves in Health Innovation One. These include the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), North West Cancer Research, ClearTrace infection control company, safety device developer ChipTech and medical device manufacturer AmDel. Glyn sees his role as helping create a hub dedicated to encouraging people with ideas, and promoting the concept of the interconnections within and between communities. The Health Innovation Campus is a community he adds. “It’s about transformation. Innovation can be a distraction, but real change is much more difficult and needs support to see it through.” If you would like to speak to the Health Innovation Campus team about a potential collaboration, email HIC@lancaster.ac.uk
Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni Aziz was involved in ensuring his stay was comfortable, and through their regular conversations, the two men discovered their shared link to Lancaster as former students in the Department of Politics and International Relations, albeit 30 years apart. Dr Mills said of their meeting, “There was an immediate degree of trust established because of our common experience at Lancaster University. We were a South African and a young Afghan with nothing to bind us but that. We had an immediate connection and I knew I would keep an eye out for him in future.” The two men connected and remained in touch. Aziz was involved in the arrangements for Dr Mills’ second trip to Kabul in July of 2021 when he was visiting the President again with his friend and colleague, the former President of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo. A relationship forged between two men in Kabul through their Lancaster University alumni bond resulted in what they describe as a race against the clock for survival. Aziz Amin (MA Conflict, Development and Security 2017, Graduate) was working as Special Secretary and Personal Assistant of President Ghani (President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) in the first half of 2021, when he met Dr Greg Mills (MA International Relations & Strategic Studies, 1986, PhD Politics 1990, Fylde). Visiting Afghanistan in February to complete research for a book, Dr Mills stayed at the Presidential Palace as a personal guest of President Ghani. DRAMATICKA 9 Aziz Amin Dr GregMills
STEPS 2022 - 10 Dr Mills, who served in Afghanistan in 2006 as an advisor to General Sir David Richards and later General Sir Nick Carter, and is now Director of the Brenthurst Foundation in South Africa, told STEPS in an interview that when he was in Kabul in July 2021 he “had a sense it was all going to come crumbling down”, but had not expected the situation to escalate so quickly. During the events of August 2021, he contacted Aziz to ask if he was safe. Dr Mills told us, “I felt an affinity with him, we had studied on the same course. We’d been to the same university and that brings an immediate sense of trust.” According to Aziz, he was in hiding after the President’s departure from the country and was having to constantly change his location, due to a fear of retribution on account of his work for the unseated government and its Western allies. Wanting to help Aziz, Dr Mills described how he reached out to his contacts and put in place an exceptionally complex plan to secure his evacuation, a process that required several attempts and a lot of organisation amidst great insecurity. Dr Mills spoke of the key steps that needed to take place: to get to the airport, then to get into the airport, next to board a plane and finally to get to a safe destination for the long term. Aziz’s evacuation was achieved, and Dr Mills and his friends went on to use the system they had devised to help over a thousand more people to safety. Aziz spoke of his experience, commenting, “I left my country with a heavy heart. Afghanistan: a country, my country and one that I love dearly; a land that gave birth to me and people who raised me were being left behind. It was as if half my heart was being torn apart. My departure was hard and the feelings and emotions were both unbearable and indescribable.” ABULESCAPE “However, throughout these times, one of the things that has brought a smile to my face and some happiness is Dr Mills and the thought that had I not met him as I had done, my fate might have been different.” “I am certain that I would not have secured my evacuation without Dr Mills and his friends. To them, I will remain forever indebted. May God bless them and all those who helped, and may he place me in a position that I, too, may one day be able to extend a helping hand to someone in need.” “I also owe Lancaster a great thanks for making, unknowingly, this remarkable connection across generations and geographies.” “ I am certain that I would not have secured my evacuation without Dr Mills and his friends. To them, I will remain forever indebted. May God bless them and all those who helped, and may he place me in a position that I, too, may one day be able to extend a helping hand to someone in need.” Aziz Amin, MA Conflict, Development and Security, 2017
Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni 11 Why I Volun Become part of our fantastic, inter Find outmore at lancaster.ac.uk/alumni FlorianMeyer MSc MANAGEMENT, 2018, GRADUATE When Florian Meyer first visited Lancaster University for a postgraduate open day, he was told that he would be as much an alumnusof-the-future as a student. “I liked that concept,” says Florian, who went on to complete an MSc in Management at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). “In Germany, my home country, universities often don’t have well-developed alumni networks, but at Lancaster there was a strong sense of having a connection to the University long after graduation.” His wish to become part of the Lancaster alumni network has come true - and paid dividends - as Florian, who now lives in Munich, explains: “I stayed in touch with a Lancaster alumnus who had given a presentation at LUMS about his career. When a vacancy came up at his firm he messaged me, I interviewed and landed a job in business development at Rapid7, an international cybersecurity company, where I’m still working now as an operations analyst. Without his recommendation, I don’t think I would have even heard about the role, let alone applied.” Having benefitted from his alumni connections, Florian decided to set up the Munich alumni group, where his role sees him coordinate local events that bring the city’s alumni together. “There’s a little admin involved, like choosing a location, but the effort is minor compared to the benefits. I’ve made friends and business connections and met many generations of Lancaster graduates – people I’d probably never have otherwise met.” Florian recently took his support for the University a step further with a donation. He says “I won an employee award and was given money to donate to a cause of my choice. My immediate thought was to Lancaster and my donation is now supporting University good causes, such as research and scholarships for those in financial hardship.” Hundreds of alumni around the world volunteer for the University in a whole host of ways. But with why do they do it?We speak to two Lancaster graduates about what they get fromgiving their time There are plenty of ways to get involved… 1. G ive a student the benefit of your advice by mentoring them throughout their studies 2. H elp students make connections in the workplace by joining a range of online or in-person events 3. Share your experience with students and alumni by being a guest speaker at an event 4. Get Lancaster talent in your workplace by advertising vacancies and work placements to our students and alumni, free of charge
STEPS 2022 - 12 nteer national network of alumni volunteers. /volunteer or email alumni@lancaster.ac.uk Amy Krishnaswamy AMERICANSTUDIES, 2001, BOWLAND Lancaster alumna Amy Krishnaswamy has also been drawn to volunteering, in her case across two different continents. After graduating in 2001, the former American Studies student headed stateside, working as a software services consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Amy says: “I was surprised at how many Lancaster alumni were living in California at the time.” “I loved my time at Lancaster - my degree means a lot to me - and I wanted to both stay in touch and give back. So, when I was invited to revive the local alumni group, I went for it.” “I met so many new people at events I arranged around the Bay Area. As is so often the case with Lancaster alumni, attendees brought few egos and plenty of fun!” Amy enjoyed the role so much that, on moving back to the UK in 2013, she began volunteering with the London alumni group. She has now been a coordinator for more than eleven years and finds it fits in well around her work as a freelance consultant. So, what has kept Amy in the role? She explains: “Although I love the conversations and hearing different experiences and memories of Lancaster University, it’s about more than that. When I hear of a new graduate who has moved to London, perhaps with few other connections here, I want them to know they have a group here that can help them settle in and make new associates and friends.” Amy is keen to hear from any alumni who would like to join her in organising London-based meetups. She says: “Whether you’re a recent graduate or from one of the earlier cohorts, everyone has a different perspective of the Lancaster experience and new ideas for bringing fellow alumni together.” Email: lancsalumnilondon@gmail.com Lancaster University Alumni@London already busy lives how do they find the time and, more to the point, and energy to the alumni network and other University causes. 5. Bring alumni together in your city by joining our international network of Alumni Group Co-ordinators 6. H elp us contribute to make an impact by becoming a representative on a University advisory board or committee 7. Support cuttingedge research and life-changing scholarships through a donation 8. Help introduce prospective students to the Lancaster experience by helping at international or UK recruitment fairs 9. S hare your passion with prospective students and their parents by becoming an Alumni Champion with the UK Student Recruitment Team
Standing in front of the perfectly preserved ancient Egyptian doll from a grave, Marge Ainsley found she was pinching herself to prove that this magic moment was really part of her job. Reflecting on this memory at The Atkinson, Southport, where she provided arts consultancy support, Ainsley says: “It’s a real privilege to get behind the scenes. I have to remind myself how fortunate I am to have backstage access to collections and conservation care in action.” Her work as a freelance cultural consultant involves her developing deep understandings of arts organisations up and down the country to help them evaluate what they do, and ultimately to increase the numbers of people benefitting from those cultural offerings. At the time of writing, she was busy on a major evaluation for Carnegie UK involving 14 library services, which began in 2019 overlapping into the period of Covid challenges. The main bulk of her time is spent with museums, libraries, archives, and galleries, ranging in size and complexity from small literary museums such as Shandy Hall, near York (home of the writer Rev Laurence Sterne) to the enormous Manchester International Festival. “I do anything from independent evaluations to devising audience development strategies for organisations,” she explains. She then secured a graduate job with Cadbury’s in Sheffield as a regional business executive – very much a stop gap, but one which gave her ‘real life’ skills including negotiating and experience of working on high profile events such as the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002. Her heart was set on working in the cultural sector, so she left Cadbury’s to study an MA in Arts and Heritage Management at the University of Sheffield. She worked as a volunteer at Sheffield Galleries and was fortunate to gain a marketing assistant position there towards the end of her course. She spent the following years working in various in-house marketing roles before going freelance in 2008. “The huge joy I get now from freelancing is working with teams who do not have marketing or evaluation experience and helping them get people through the doors,” she explains. “It’s a pleasure to be able to work with so many different types of organisation by training their staff and volunteers.” Post Covid, a lot of work is required to help in the recovery of the cultural sector. She says: “The pandemic demonstrated to the powers that be that people value the arts, and it can have a powerful, positive impact on health and wellbeing.” To read the full interview visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni She chose to go to Lancaster University to study English Language because of its reputation as a highflying department, but found that her first year choice of Cultural Communication allowed her to do Art History as well. Academically she thrived on the opportunities to explore language in every sense, from analysing grammar and syntax, studying children’s literacy and exploring the copywriting of advertising. These are skills that support her current work, especially with content marketing, report writing, and copywriting leaflets and online materials for different audiences. She also learned to swear fluently - but only in the manner current in 17th and 18th-century England - as she wrote her dissertation on it. “A lot of the words are the same,” she laughs. “But the etymology is so fascinating - why these words are so bad and how they have changed over time.” She points out that her studies did not make swearing a habit. Her Lancaster days were very happy ones, and she is still in touch with the English Language department today. Marge’s post-university path was not easy as a Master’s qualification was needed to enter the cultural sector at that time. She stayed on in Lancaster for a year with university friends and worked for a financial call centre in Preston. GRADUATED: 2000 SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGEWITHARTHISTORY COLLEGE: BOWLAND PROFESSION: FREELANCE CULTURAL CONSULTANT 13 Spotlight on... Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni Marge Ainsley
STEPS 2020 - 14 As a council director with a passion for the environmental issues, Paula Hewitt has found herself facing crisis after crisis as the effects of climate make themselves felt. Not long before speaking, the Deputy Chief Executive of Somerset Council (who leads on economic and community infrastructure) had been working with her Highways Department on the aftermath of a weekend of storms that brought down 300 trees and disrupted power supplies. That followed hard on a flooding emergency, not as devastating as those in 2014/15, but damaging. Suddenly there was the Ukraine situation, bringing concerns about fuel, against a background of the continuing Covid pandemic. “It’s been a strange few years,” muses Paula. “We seem to roll from one emergency to another. You are constantly juggling and trying to be strategic and to think long term and then there’s what the issue is today. But climate change is still the biggest and most long-term challenge that we have to face - locally, nationally and internationally.” As President of ADEPT (The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport) she is leading the drive for councils to tackle climate change at a local level across the UK. She’s only the third female president in ADEPT’s 136-year history and it’s the achievement of which she is most proud. Bowland College also provided welcome social activities and the Environmental Society too. After gaining a first at Lancaster she went to work for British Coal Opencast for four years as a graduate trainee, then a planner, looking at integrating proposals with the needs of the community. Somerset County Council provided her next move as a minerals planner dealing with limestone and peat extraction. From then on, she says: “I just worked my way up and now manage a range of services from highways and waste to water management and libraries.” Her top priority is climate change, especially having been in the hot seat managing the disastrous Somerset 2014/15 floods. Since then she has been working on resilience and disaster for the European Committee of the Regions (part of EU). “That really made me think, hearing about natural disasters round the world” she says. “Flooding is so linked with climate change. How do we reduce our carbon emissions, adapt and work towards the future sustainability?” Clearly Paula’s Environmental Science Studies at Lancaster have shaped her career, but the University also gave her much more: “It’s the life skills, being independent and carving your own path,” she says. “I also developed people skills that you use throughout your life.” To read the full interview visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni But her environmental journey started in earnest at Lancaster University, studying Environmental Science. Paula was born in East Lothian in Scotland. She’d studied for her Scottish Highers so had a year to look around universities over the border in England and was captivated by Lancaster University’s campus, the city and the Environmental Science course content, and gained an unconditional offer. Her room in Bowland College overlooked Alexandra Square and she quickly settled in. Her lectures, seminars and tutors were a revelation to her, inspiring her to grapple with subjects she could see would be completely relevant to her life - in particular how to deal with environmental challenges. Her dissertation supervisor was Colin Patrick and looked at the effect of open cast mining on hydrology in the Hunter Valley in Australia - though she has yet to visit it. When floods hit Somerset in 2014/15 and Paula was involved both in the immediate response and the long-term strategy, she was amused to find herself digging back into her Lancaster University studies - especially the hydrology, and the geology. She led the work to minimise future flooding in the county through the establishment of the Somerset Rivers Authority. Her student social life revolved around the hiking club where she acquired a large circle of friends and became club secretary. Weekends were in the Lake District bagging fells. GRADUATED: 1986 SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES COLLEGE: BOWLAND PROFESSION: DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE SOMERSETCOUNCIL/ PRESIDENTOF ADEPT 2 Paula Hewitt
Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni 15 UniversityNews TOM MILLEN BURSARY FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS The family of Tom Millen, who served as the first Superintendent of Laboratories and Workshops in the Engineering Department (1969-1977), has given a generous donation to award a £3,000 bursary to an outstanding Engineering student from a disadvantaged background each year for the next ten years. Tom’s daughter, Wendy Rutter, is pictured on a recent campus visit next to what is possibly the oldest piece of equipment in the Engineering Department – one that her father would have known and worked with. She remembers that Tom believed passionately in the value of education and believes that he would be thrilled that this bursary is part of his legacy. For further information visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/tommillen-engineering-bursary-fordisadvantaged-students NEW CAMPUS FOR LANCASTER UNIVERSITY LEIPZIG Lancaster emerged victorious and hoisted the Carter-James Trophy aloft this year, marking the end of the 56th inter-university sports tournament between Lancaster and York Universities. Early Roses fixtures set the tone for the first Roses to be held in-person since 2019, with Lancaster taking early wins in rowing and running. By Friday’s opening ceremony, held in Lancaster’s Sports Centre, Lancaster had increased the advantage, taking further wins despite spirited competition by York. Lancaster emerged victorious in games of football, handball, pool and American football, whilst York fought back with wins in netball, cricket and hockey. Colleagues from Lancaster University, UK, Lancaster University Leipzig and partners from Navitas Global joined together to celebrate Lancaster University Leipzig’s new international student campus. Located in Strohsackpassage in the centre of Leipzig, the campus offers students facilities to learn and build wider professional skills. With purpose designed office, learning and event spaces, it is positioned to offer opportunities for outreach and engagement with businesses, government, and other partners. York’s teams didn’t give up, scoring wins or draws in 25 out of 58 events held on Saturday. Ultimately, however, Lancaster made the most of the home-field advantage and continued to increase its points lead. By the close of play on Sunday, the crowds cheered as the final victories meant Lancaster secured well over the 172 points needed to be declared the overall winners of Roses 2022. You can rewatch many events, and see the final scores at www.roseslive.co.uk A branch campus of Lancaster University, UK, Lancaster University Leipzig offers students a unique opportunity to experience a British education at one of the UK’s top universities, whilst living in Germany. For further information visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/ lancaster-university-leipzigcelebrates-grand-opening-of- its-new-campus-1 VICTORY FOR LANCASTER AT ROSES 2022
STEPS 2022 - 16 Results from the recentlypublished 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) which assesses the quality and impact of research submitted by 157 UK universities across all subjects have shown the following: • 9 1% of Lancaster’s research has been independently rated as ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world leading’ with 46% rated in the highest category of 4*. • L ancaster is ranked 21 overall out of 157 institutions in Times Higher Education (THE). This also places Lancaster above eight Russell Group universities for research quality. • T he results combine with Lancaster’s strengths in teaching and investment in the student experience to reflect our distinctive university community, able to excel in teaching and research. • 9 9% of Lancaster’s overall research environment was rated 4* ‘world leading’ or 3* ‘internationally excellent’ - this includes support and training of research students, research integrity, equality and diversity, as well as facilities available to support research. • 9 5% of Lancaster’s research has 4* ‘outstanding’ impact or 3* ‘very considerable’ reach and significance. • 8 8% of Lancaster’s research is rated 4* ‘world leading’ or 3* ‘internationally excellent’ for outputs. For further information visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/newevidence-highlights-world-leadingquality-of-lancaster-research NEW STUDY HIGHLIGHTS QUALITY OF LANCASTER RESEARCH Lancaster University is working with a consortium of leading cyber security specialists to create a new Digital Innovation Security Hub (DiSH) in Manchester. The development will help foster innovation and growth in the North West and the wider UK’s digital and cyber security sectors, with aims to support 500 new start-ups and create more than 1,000 jobs locally. The DiSH will be headquartered in an 11,000 square foot state-of the-art space in Heron House in Manchester which is due to open in the summer, but will be accessible virtually from anywhere in the country. The site will include co-working or private office space for businesses and entrepreneurs and provide access to networking opportunities, business growth programmes and mentorship from industry experts. The consortium of partners appointed by Manchester City Council to create the DiSH, including Lancaster University, BarclaysEagle Labs - in partnership with Plexal - and The University of Manchester, will also provide a range of cyber and digital educational initiatives across the Greater Manchester Combined Authority area. For further information visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/lancasteruniversity-joins-consortiumcreating-new-groundbreakinginitiative-to-drive-growth-andinnovation-in-digital-security-sector LANCASTER JOINS CONSORTIUM FOR GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVE IN DIGITAL SECURITY
17 Reuel (MA Marketing Management, 1979, County) has many strings to his bow, both entrepreneurial and creative. The new Chancellor of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal; the co-owner and operator of seven lodges and a boutique hotel with his wife Mumsy and their daughters; a current and past chairman of illustrious national and multi-national companies based in South Africa; Fellow and President of the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa; Visiting Professor at Rhodes Business School, University of Free State Business School and Wits Business School; the author of six books; and a classical and choral music lyricist and executive producer of more than 150 songs composed by S J Khosa, a music prodigy with more than 800 compositions to his name. Scholastically, Reuel completed an EngD in Business Engineering with a focus on leadership at Warwick University, and has been honoured with LLD Honoris Causa by both Warwick and Rhodes Universities as well as a D Econ by the University of Free State. now Mpumalanga province. The path from there to Lancaster was not a straightforward one. After completing his undergraduate studies (BA and BA Honours in Psychology) at the University of the North, now the University of Limpopo, Reuel wanted to take up a scholarship opportunity in America. However, he was active in student politics, and the oppressive environment in Apartheid South Africa meant the government refused him a passport – ‘let alone a visa,’ he recalls. Reuel also lost his teaching job at the university and went to work as a brand manager with Unilever. “The authorities of the time did not take kindly to my questioning the manner in which they chose to treat other human beings. I was turfed out, but I have no regrets about being fired – that was a blessing in disguise, as it led me to where I am today” Reuel adds. The Fascinating Journeyof Dr Reuel Khoza Take a little walk to your fridge or your fruit bowl. If there is an avocado inside, you are in the UK and the label says ‘produce of South Africa’, then there is a good chance it will have come through the packing house of Dr Reuel Khoza. If that were not enough for a man who declares with a smile that he would ‘like to be fully utilised by the time I make my transition to eternity’, then there are avocados. On top of his numerous other enterprises, Reuel is a gentleman farmer par excellence, and his pack house packs and exports avocados from his own farm as well as for neighbouring growers – the venture is the second largest exporter of the fruit from South Africa to Europe. On a visit to Scotland for his daughter’s graduation at Stirling University, he discovered just how far his produce travels. “We checked into our hotel, unpacked and settled in, and then we took a stroll down the street – lo and behold, they were selling avocados from my farm in South Africa!” It has been a long journey for a young boy who balanced his primary school studies with looking after his grandfather’s cattle while growing up in the Bushbuckridge area of what is Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni
STEPS 2022 - 18 “The Royal Dutch Shell scholarship people came and told me about their scholarship and asked if I wanted to apply to go to Lancaster. I applied and it was incumbent on them to fight the government for me to come to the UK. I felt very fortunate that they did that.” Reuel arrived in Lancaster in 1978 for an experience that was to change the path of his life and career. It was a totally new learning environment from South Africa – ‘You were treated as a fully-fledged human being, not just a student.’ – and a different climate as well – ‘When the sun came out, everybody rejoiced!’. “It was an eye-opener for me,” says Reuel, who benefitted greatly from learning under Head of Marketing, Peter Spillard, who spent time with students as individuals in formal and informal settings. “The exposure broadens your horizons in more ways than one: the overseas exposure; the exposure to a different kind of education; being in a different country and imbibing a different culture.” Upon his return home, Reuel’s Lancaster experience put him in a strong position for career success, though the political situation in South Africa meant his race would still count against him. “You have to make sure that you don’t come across as brash because you have been studying in England,” he says. “You have to show confidence and that you are a person who can make a difference, without unduly ruffling feathers.” “I was the first South African – black or white – to have a Master’s degree in Marketing or Marketing Management. I came back better equipped, and Royal Dutch Shell insisted that I worked for them, which I did by way of saying thank you.” For 16 years, Reuel ran a management consultancy firm and then played major roles at many corporations. He is currently chairman of Assupol Holdings Ltd, Discovery Bank, and past chairman of the Public Investment Corporation Ltd, Nedbank Group Limited, GlaxoSmithKline and Eskom Holdings Ltd, among others. He has also recently been appointed Chancellor of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, following previous spells in the same role at the Universities of Limpopo and Medunsa. It is a career that took a significant turn during his 12 months in Lancaster – to where he returned with three generations of family for his daughter Munene’s graduation with an MA in Language and Linguistics in 2014 – a place he holds dear to his heart. With a final smile, he says: “I take great pride in having spent at least a little time at Lancaster, and I really used that exposure as a fulcrum for furthering my career.” To read the full interview visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni Reuel at Lancaster University Reuel with Marketing Staff and Students at Lancaster
Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni 19 Supporting Lancaster from America The Friends’ President is Bruce Sewell (Psychology, 1979, Bowland), Apple’s former SVP/General Counsel. He comments: “My fellow Directors and I truly enjoy being involved in the life and mission of the University. Lancaster is a genuinely global institution! As well as delivering Lancaster degrees in Ghana, China, Malaysia and Germany, its outstanding, high-impact research tackles issues of international significance. This summer we are launching the Friends’ first open grant call within Lancaster University for initiatives with the potential for true global impact. Initiatives could range from offering a scholarship for a student from the developing world, to helping fund research projects – possibly into worldwide diseases like cancer or Parkinson’s, or into the challenge of alleviating extreme poverty in Africa.” THE FRIENDSOF LANCASTER UNIVERSITY INAMERICA (FLUA) IS ANAMERICAN 501(C) CHARITY. ITOFFERS AGREATWAY FOR LANCASTER SUPPORTERSWHOLIVE IN THE STATES TOSTAY INVOLVEDANDMAKE TAX EFFICIENTGIFTS TOSUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY. FLUA PRESIDENT, BRUCE SEWELL, EXPLAINSHOWYOUCANGET INVOLVED. HOW YOU CAN MAKE A GLOBAL IMPACT “Donors to FLUA have made it possible for us to make £25,000 available to award these global impact grants to Lancaster University projects, but with your support we could achieve so much more. The more that supporters in America get behind this initiative, the greater the impact we can achieve.” BOARD MEMBERSHIP President BRUCE SEWELL (Psychology, 1979, Bowland) Retired SVP/General Counsel, Apple Vice-President GEOFF PILLER (Politics, 1979, Bowland) Managing Shareholder, Beeson, Tayer & Bodine JANE BIERWIRTH (Politics & International Relations, 1973, Bowland) Managing Partner, RSR Partners NIGEL HOWARD (Law, 1987, Pendle) Partner, Covington & Burlington LLP JEFF JOHNSON (JYA, 1980, Lonsdale) Partner, Pryor Cashman LLP EDDIE ROBINSON (MA Operational Research, 1972, Furness) Retired Executive VP Service & Finance North America, Mars Inc. TOM TREZISE LUMS Honorary Professorial Fellow PROFESSOR ANDY SCHOFIELD Vice-Chancellor Find out more at www.lancaster.ac.uk/ giving/flua or contact the Board Secretary Christine Parker c.parker@lancaster.ac.uk
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